REVIEW: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Fantasy. Young Adult. Retelling

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

ISBN: 1250044650

Format: Hardback, E-book, Paperback, Audio-book

Release Date: November 8th 2016


Links: Goodreads Amazon.com , I-book
           Official Website B&N, Indigo



Rating: 8/10



Synopsis:

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Review:

Wow. Where do I start?

I loved this book, and I mean really loved it. Re-tellings have become immensely popular recently and this book has been on my tbr since it was first announced.

As some of you may know, Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourite stories so I was super excited when this book finally came in the mail. I had never read one of Marissa Meyer's books before so I had no idea what to expect.

So let's talk about Cath- or who everyone knows as the dreaded Queen Of Hearts.

Cath has a great personality with a dream to open her own bakery with her friend/maid against her parent's wishes. She is a determined and strong character who refuses to let her parents get in the way of her dreams.

Her parents are far too controlling- her Mother the most of all. They wish whats best for their daughter like any parent would. But, they force her into a courtship that she does not want and ignore her wishes to open a bakery with their help. It isn't until the end of the novel when her parents realise their mistakes.

Then comes Jest. Her perfect half and the King's royal jest.

I loved his wit and his dedication/loyalty towards the King. Despite his feelings he keeps them at bay until the time is right and Cath comes to learn her true feelings.

I enjoyed the world building and learning about the two sides of the Kingdom: Red and White.

I loved the introduction of other characters and their personalities, such as the Chesire Cat and Madhatter. I found the story behind the Jabberwocky interesting and was a twist I was not expecting to happen.

The ending of the novel honestly had me close to tears. Yes, everyone knows the story of the red queen in Wonderland so it was clear where this story was going to end (so this isn't really a spoiler) but that didn't make it any happier. She becomes the dreaded Red Queen after all her hard work and dedication towards her dreams and her true love.

If you love Alice in Wonderland I'm sure you'll love this book. It may not be for everyone but I can't explain how much I enjoyed it.

I may need to pick up the Lunar Chronicles at some point in the future if they are anything like Marissa Meyer's writing in Heartless.